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Quarter Mania Paddles Wave With Stellar Crowd

EXCITEMENT filled the Warsaw Community Building on Saturday night during Quarter Mania with a jam packed crowd that included Hadley and Kathy Arnett.

By:

Anita Campbell

County Reporter

The Warsaw Community Building was filled to capacity on Saturday night at the Eighth Annual Quarter Mania sponsored by the BSJ Cancer Fighting Team. “We sold out of tickets three weeks before the event,” said organizer Sharon Guess. “This was our biggest turnout to date.”

From garage sales to crafts shows to the Quarter Mania event, the BSJ team works all year to raise money to help in the search for a cure for those who suffer from cancer. Guess commented that people were asking her about purchasing a table for next year during this year’s event. “Quarter Mania has increased in attendance every year since we began,” Guess said. “Our help doesn’t just come from Benton County. We receive donations of items and money from Benton and Pettis Counties as well as many generous donors in the Kansas City area.”

This year the funds will go to the Hope Lodge in Kansas City, the Bothwell Hospital Cancer Center and the Sarah Cannon Cancer Center at Research Hospital in Kansas City.

Each Hope Lodge offers cancer patients and their caregivers a free place to stay when their best hope for effective treatment may be in another city. Not having to worry about where to stay or how to pay for lodging allows guests to focus on getting better. Hope Lodge provides a nurturing, home-like environment where guests can retreat to private rooms or connect with others. Every Hope Lodge also offers a variety of resources and information about cancer and how best to fight the disease.

Currently, there are more than 30 Hope Lodge locations throughout the United States and Puerto Rico. Accommodations and eligibility requirements may vary by location.

Bothwell Regional Health Center’s oncology services are centralized for the patient’s convenience, allowing all patient needs to be met in one place. This focus on the patient and family allows our nationally certified physicians, nurses and therapists to work with each patient on an individual plan for cure, control or comfort care.

Sarah Cannon Cancer Institute HCA Midwest Health provides patients and their families with access to the latest in cancer treatment and comprehensive services close to home. Through Sarah Cannon’s network, patients have access to a team of trusted local physicians and global cancer resources that expand the reach of one single cancer center.

“We are giving the money we raise to help those who are battling cancer as well as giving to the American Cancer Fund to find a cure for cancer,” said Guess. “Our team sits down with those we are donating the money we raised to find out what they need. We aren’t just handing them a check, we want to know that the money we donate will help those from our community who are battling this dreaded disease.”

Guess commented that she appreciated the many volunteers who worked during the Quarter Mania as well as the River Church Youth workers.

One of the highlights of the evening was when Pam Bowling of Benton County won a beautiful bedroom set which had been donated to the event.

“I continue to be amazed at the generosity of our community,” said Guess. “There is no way I could do this alone.”

Those interested in purchasing a table for the next Quarter Mania should contact Sharon Guess. A table can be purchase for $120 with at least 8 people at the table. Individual admission is $15 for a white paddle and $50 for a pink paddle. Guess commented that they completely sold out of pink paddles.

“We can never do enough to help those who are struggling with cancer,” Guess said. “No donation is too small. I can take whatever you want to give and make it look great so help us any way you can to help those fighting cancer. I think this next year, all our tables will be reserved before the event occurs.”

According to the American Cancer Society, in Missouri it is estimated that there will be 35,520 cases of Cancer in 2018 and of those cases 13,280 will die. Every day in the United States there are 4,750 new cases of cancer. Of those 4,750 cases, 1,670 people will day, every day!

A substantial proportion of cancers could be prevented. All cancers caused by tobacco use and heavy alcohol consumption could be prevented completely. In 2017, about 188,800 of the estimated 595,690 cancer deaths in the US will be caused by cigarette smoking, according to a recent study by American Cancer Society epidemiologists. In addition, the World Cancer Research Fund estimates that about 20% of all cancers diagnosed in the U.S. are related to body fatness, physical inactivity, excess alcohol consumption, and/or poor nutrition, and thus could also be prevented. Certain cancers are related to infectious agents, such as human papilloma virus (HPV), hepatitis B virus (HBV), hepatitis C virus (HCV), human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), and Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori). Many of these cancers could be avoided by preventing these infections through behavioral changes or vaccination, or by treating the infection. Many of the more than 5 million skin cancer cases that are diagnosed annually could be prevented by protecting skin from excessive sun exposure and not using indoor tanning devices.

Screening can prevent colorectal and cervical cancers by allowing for the detection and removal of precancerous lesions.

Screening also offers the opportunity to detect some cancers early, when treatment is less extensive and more likely to be successful. Screening is known to help reduce mortality for cancers of the breast, colon, rectum, cervix, and lung (among long-term and/or heavy smokers). In addition, a heightened awareness of changes in certain parts of the body, such as the breast, skin, mouth, eyes, or genitalia, may also result in the early detection of cancer.

Death rates are declining for all four of the most common cancer types – lung, colorectal, breast, and prostate. According to the American Cancer Society, the continuous decline in cancer death rates over two decades has resulted in an overall drop of 23%, resulting in more than 1.7 million cancer deaths averted. Despite this progress, cancer is now the leading cause of death for much of the US population. Moreover, incidence and death rates are increasing for several cancer types, including liver and pancreas—2 of the most fatal cancers. Advancing the fight against cancer will require continued clinical and basic research, which is dependent on funding, as well as the application of existing cancer control knowledge across all segments of the population, with an emphasis on disadvantaged groups.

While the Quarter Mania signals the end of the year for the BSJ Cancer Fighting Team, Guess said that the team has already started making plans for the coming year. “We have already received our first donation for the 2018-19 year,” Guess said. “We will never give up until a cure is found.”